Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-26
wIrE.s pITIFUL STORY.
Reaten, starved. and locked Up for
N Month by Her Husband.
philadelphia Presal


n Month by Her Husband.
philadelphia Pressl
Information was sent 10 the station
M Front and Master streets on Thurs
day night from 2l3 Poplar street that q
woman had been imprisoned there by
her husband for four weeks and was
being starved and beaten to death by
inches.
Stalwsrt Special Officer Henry was
sent to investigate. He found that 2l3
Poplar street was n neat three-story
dwelling. II is occupied by Il. Haas, a
milk dealer. Mrs. HaSs is pretty Ger
man woman, and it was she who had
sent the word to the station-house Her
tlue ewes were blazing with excitement
az che told the officer the discovery she
had made concerning her third-hoor
dodgers. Oscar Offenbach and his wife,
Annie.
An hour before il bad suddenly oc-
Cured to Mrs. Haas that she had not
seen Mrs. Offenbach for long time.
The couple had seemed to be oddly
matched, and it was known that Mrs.
Ofenbsch was frequently beaten by her
husband. The husband had been regu-
larry passing in and out, to and from
his work, with a scowl, and had never
said anything about his wife being sick
or absent.
MAKING THE DISCOVERY.
On Thursday Mrs. Haas climbed the
two flights of stairs and raped at the
door of the Offenbachs' rooms. There
was no answer, and Mrs. Haas felt sure
that murder had been done. Still, she
raped again, and a weak, terrified
voice asked who was there. The land
lady told and asked that the door be
opened.
al can't, wes the answer; 81 am
locked in"
LOCKED i'm" was the surprised
ejaculation. "What is that for 2"
My husband wants to kill me, and
he has had me here for nearly n month.
The weak, terrified voice was broken
with sobs now, and there was the sound
of some one slowly coming across the
floor.
"But can't you get out through the
window ?" asked Mrs. Haas.
No" was the answer; I'm toe
weak. and besides it is nailed down.
The door was then battered down by
the special officer. -.
Crouched in one corner was the wife
Of Mrs. Haas's lodger, weak and ema
ciated, with eyes partly closed from
brutal blows, and with hands, arms
and neck discolored by black and blue
bruises.
4 tattered garment partly concealed
her nakedness, and two pet rabbits anC
guinea pig scampered across th'
loor as the officer entered. A number
Of the neighbors crowded in after thu
policeman, and the sight they saw anC
the story they heard made the mel
shudder and the women weep.
officer Henry took charge of asharp
pointed dagger, a twisted poker, and &
loaded revolver, and removed the wo
man TO the Wayfarers' Lodge, on Laure
street, below Front. Here she wa
taken care of bJ kind-hearted Mrs. Il
4. Heath. The superintendent anC
the policemen started TO look for TIN
husband. They succeeded SO well tina
in an hour they had Oscar Ofienbacl
locked up i'll Tenth district station
house cell.
Mrs Offenbach is but twenty-four
and yet she looks to be forty. Her tall
began with her acquaintance with Ofien
bach in New York little over thre
years ago. Then she had been il
| America about four years. Her nam
was Annie Obeens, and she had com
from Baden with her sister Bertha
7 hey secured service together, am
when Ofienbach came to the house t.
10 some painting, for that was hi
| trade, he made love to Annie. He
| photograph, taken at that time, show
Eer TO have been a girl of sprightl,
manner and striking beauty.
Bertha warned her sister against tn
| rainter, saying she believed him to b
| a bad man. This was to no purpose
| for they were married, and long befor
| the year and half that they lived to
| oether in New York had ended tn
| Young wife found out that her sister
| estimate Of her husband was correct
| She bad frequently been abused. Often
bach was surly and addicted to drink
and when he came to Philadelphia hi
bad treatment increased.
They first took rooms on Maste
street above Fifth, and here she wa
beaten almost daily. Her husband pro
fcssed 10 he jealous, and he had tn
woman in a state of constant terror
declaring that in America he could d
whatever he chose and the law woul'
not touch him. He was so noisy tina
| they were compelled to move, and ST
months ago took the rooms at BIB Pop
| lar street.
Things went along in the old wa.
until month ago then the imprison
ment commenced. When he came iron
| his work Offenbach beat his wife wit
the poker instead OF his fists, and seye
ral times burned her in the hands whe
| it was red-hot. He had compelled he
to stihe her cries by holding the re
volver to her head, and had flourishe
the dagger and threatened to kill her i
case she made any oHtcry from the win
dow during his absence.
The woman was almost starved, TO
she had been given nothing but Gu
of coffee and a morsel of bread twice
day, and when she told of other indig
mites and acts of violence TO which sh
had been subjected she utterly brok
down and sobbed for long time. Mr.:
Heath cried, too. alt is the mos
shameful case of brutality / ever hear
Of, said Mrs. Heath yesterday.
Oflenbach was given q hearing befor
Magistrate Cobb yesterday. lie
short, stout, and strong, with stiff, ligh
hair and a scovl that is almost devilish
The dagger, the revolver, and tn
twisted poker lay on the desk of tn
magistrate, and when the wife was Is
sisted into the hearing room she shran
away from her husband.
| ---a1ts--
| EatabIfsfiing Her Fortune.